Sixers Scoring Spell Stupefies Wizards: Mad Maxey Stays Hot, Scores 35 in 3 Quarters
The 76ers came into their first matchup of December one game above .500 and looking like a potentially exciting, but albeit woefully inconsistent team as long as Embiid struggles to get on the court.
Although, young, healthy, rising stars like Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain, and V.J. Edgecombe provide plenty of reason for optimism as it is that young core that is willing this team to the victories they are able to squeak out.
The aforementioned Maxey appears to be in the midst of the peak of his career, as he entered the contest ranked top-7 among SGs in points per game (3rd), field goals made, three pointers made, and assists.
Tyrese Maxey this season:
🏀 3rd in PPG
🏀 3rd in FGM
🏀 4th in 3PM
🏀 7th in assistsCurrently 6th in #NBA MVP odds.
Can he keep it going while the #Sixers secure a win tonight against the Wizards? pic.twitter.com/6yABA5rIHw
— Vote The Process (@VoteTheProcess) December 2, 2025
With just under nine and a half minutes left in the first quarter, Maxey gave the 76ers a 10-5 lead over the visiting Wizards after swishing a quick side-step three where he left his defender in the dust.
In the ensuing possessions, the Sixers had some defensive miscues which resulted in wide-open Wizards layups while C.J. McCollum got cooking and Philly lost the lead.
Tyrese Maxey was once again able to answer by using a hesitation dribble and fighting through contact to kiss a ball high off the glass with his left hand as he crashed to the floor, cutting the Wizards’ lead to one point as the score sat at 20-19 with five minutes left in the quarter.
A catch-and-shoot three from Jared McCain combined with a perfect screen resulted in a another clean 76ers three, giving them the lead once again at 24-22 and forcing a Washington timeout with 3:51 on the clock in the first quarter.
swishhh https://t.co/mK5YQ4icHH pic.twitter.com/Itbri9IQEz
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 3, 2025
Thanks to an almost perfectly balanced offensive attack, the 76ers were able to retain their three-point lead at the end of the quarter as Maxey, McCain, Justin Edwards, and Paul George all had at least six first-quarter points.
Midway through the second quarter, back-to-back Andre Drummond buckets led to a 44-39 Philadelphia lead.
Tyrese Maxey found a flying Jared McCain on a quick outlet pass a few possessions later, forcing another Wizards timeout as the score sat at 46-39 with 8:44 on the second-quarter clock.
Maxey was playing with the best energy by far of anyone on the court, as it felt like he was simply everywhere on both the offensive and defensive end.
It felt like every other Sixers possession was an insane Maxey finish while every other Wizards possession ended in the determined Tyrese poking a ball away or picking one off like he was an NFL corner.
But it was V.J. Edgecombe who later brought the Philly faithful to their feet, like he’s done all season, by bringing the absolute boom on a dunk right in the face of a Washington defender and giving the 76ers their largest lead of the night at the time.
SHEESH. pic.twitter.com/9IHFvzoZps
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 3, 2025
Jabari Walker capped the scoring barrage off, soaring high above the rim and jamming a two-handed slam down hard enough to start an earthquake in the tri-state area, giving the Sixers a 66-54 lead.
Walker was efficient with his minutes, and his eight rebounds and nine points in the first half were critical for Philly’s momentum and pace.
Maxey continued to hit diving, mind-blowing finishes while the Sixers built on their lead throughout the third quarter.
A deep Jared McCain three from un-guardable territory gave the Sixers an 87-67 cue the annoying middle schoolers lead as the Wizards called a timeout.
It was the third time a Jared McCain three resulted in an immediate Washington timeout.
Maxey was scorching hot throughout the night as he hit back-to-back step-back threes, only to steal the ball and slam it home on the next Wizards possession, forcing yet another timeout, sending the crowd roaring, and scoring 33 points with a minute left in the third quarter with the score at 99-73.
He would add two more free throws before the quarter would end, giving him 35 points in just three quarters.
mad max. 😈 pic.twitter.com/kMmgjGbItq
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 3, 2025
With a 25-point lead entering the fourth quarter, benches emptied for both teams and my wife changed the TV to Love Island Australia as it was clear the route was on.
Maxey ended the night hitting 50% of his field goals, shooting 44% from beyond the arc, and he led the Sixers in points, made field goals (13), rebounds (8), assists (6), made threes (4), and steals (4).
The 76ers finished with a 121-102 win over the relatively depleted Wizards, but their energy, defensive effort, and scoring efficiency was a hopefully promising sign of things to come.
After the win against the Wizards, Maxey now ranks second to only Luka in FGM per game among shooting guards, sits third among all players behind just Giannis and LeBron in fast break points per game, and leads the league in passes per game (per NBA.com).
Additionally, Adem Bona’s defensive presence has likely surprised the rest of the NBA, but 76ers fans have known since last season that the long, athletic big man has elite skills. Today, he ranks fifth in the NBA in blocks per game with 1.8 after blocking another shot against Washington while finishing the game with second-best +/- on the team after Jared McCain.
V.J. Edgecombe is another young prospect who’s been coming along nicely, and after scoring nine points while grabbing ten boards tonight, he ranks top-4 among rookies in points per game and double doubles.
Even without Embiid, as long as Maxey can play like the superstar, MVP-candidate he is night in and night out while this young core continues to grow while playing well, the Sixers should be able to contend with almost any team in the NBA.
Up next is a Thursday night clash at home against the Warriors, who came into the December 2nd matchups one game above .500 themselves, which should be a more difficult and measurable test against a more evenly-matched team.
